Call These Conference Committee Members

The Speaker of the House and these 10 Omnibus Education Bill conference committee members will decide whether the final education legislation will protect children by requiring schools to provide separate bathroom, shower and locker room facilities between biological boys and biological girls. Right now, two of the largest school districts in the state, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have already adopted policies that put students at great risk allowing students to “self-select” a private facility.

The House Republican majority, Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt, negotiates overall budget targets with the Senate Democrat majority and the Governor. Some provisions are negotiable. Others are non-negotiable. In the grand scheme of things, Speaker Daudt and the GOP majority must decide what will be kept in any omnibus bill in exchange for what policies will be removed.

Technically, a conference committee vote requires a majority (3) of the five House conferees AND a majority (3) of the five Senate conferees. Since four of the five Senate conferees have already voted NO to the Student Physical Privacy amendment on the Senate floor, is there a path for this amendment to survive?

The answer to that question is: it will survive only if this provision is a non-negotiable priority for the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Republicans can refuse to remove this provision, but they may have to sacrifice something else to get the hostile Democrat Senate to leave the Student Physical Privacy in place. What will they do? Will the safety of our students be a top priority for the Republicans?

Here are the people and the numbers to call and email. Tell them: Student Physical Privacy is the TOP education provision. Make it a TOP negotiating item.